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| jack-in-pulpit |
When the first settlers came into the hill country of the eastern part of the United States, they found clear, sparkling streams winding their way to the sea through forest-clad hills. The binding roots of the trees held the stream banks firm. The grass-covered hillsides and the open woodlands were not washed away even when very heavy rains came.
After the white man came that was changed. He cut away the forest to make a clearing for his home and fields. There seemed no end to the wooded lands and it never occurred to him that he should replace the trees that he was cutting down. He saw no warning in the mud-stained streams that began to cut back their banks in the spring freshets. He never realized that every washing rain took a little more of the rich top-soil from his fields and carried it to the sea.
Today, barren hillsides and deep gullies scar the land that once teemed with life and offered protection to man and beast. The animal life of a region changes with the destruction of forest and grassland; the deer must seek the shelter of another woodland; the beaver hunts for a quiet, secluded stream; the raccoon goes into hiding in the tall tree near a quiet marsh or stream, and bird neighbors change. It takes more than the age of one generation to replace the forests and heal the damage done by the first thoughtless use of our natural resources.
As settlers moved westward, rapid change continued. Farm lands were cultivated at the expense of the forest; swamps were drained; cities were built; railroads brought many people. There is little of forest or meadow left undisturbed. The fertility of the soil has been used up by repeated planting of corn and wheat or other crops. Open woodlands have been grazed by horses and cattle and sheep until the young trees have had no chance to grow up and replace the old forests that are dying out.
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| screech owl |
The chattering squirrels grow less challenging as they learn the fear of man and dog. The skunk, natural enemy of insects, now has fewer hiding places and is disappearing.
What shall we do with all the rabbits that eat the bark of young trees. Foxes could keep them under control, but they too have been hunted or driven out.
When man spoils the natural control of things in the great outdoors, he must provide a means of control or pay a heavy price for his lack of wisdom. He kills off the snakes and puts a bounty on the heads of owls and hawks and then loses his stored grain because of hungry mice and rats.
The wild-life preserves are safe refuges for some but not all of the native life of a region. Man himself is probably the least protected of any life in any place.
In our race for progress why do we not stop to consider the relative values of such things? Why tap the alpine lake for water power when such power could be taken from the sunlight and the lake left for a fisherman's paradise? Man must have food and shelter and clothing, but he must have more than that if he is to live well. He must have places where he can sometimes go away from the maddening rush of civilization; to the quiet lake; to the long stretch of shore; the fastness of the deep forest there to recreate within himself the courage for living.
Natural resources must contribute to man's welfare and be protected for that purpose. They must become a part of the Conservation program of any people who want to stabilize their culture and prolong the life of their nation. Thomas
Kids talk about nature.
Crafty Critters for Nature Lovers:
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